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Algebra - Number sequences and patterns

Grade 6IGCSE

Review the key concepts, formulae, and examples before starting your quiz.

🔑Concepts

Definition of a Sequence: A list of numbers that follows a specific rule or pattern.

Term: Each individual number within a sequence.

Term-to-term rule: A rule that describes how to get from one term to the next (e.g., 'Add 3').

Common Difference: The constant value added or subtracted to get the next term in an arithmetic sequence.

Arithmetic Sequence: A sequence where the difference between consecutive terms is always the same.

Position-to-term rule (n-th term): A rule that allows you to calculate any term in a sequence based on its position (n) in the list.

Geometric Sequence: A sequence where each term is found by multiplying the previous term by a fixed, non-zero number called the common ratio.

Special Sequences: Recognizing Square numbers (1, 4, 9...), Cube numbers (1, 8, 27...), and Fibonacci sequences (1, 1, 2, 3, 5...).

📐Formulae

Common Difference: d=unun1d = u_{n} - u_{n-1}

General form of a linear nn-th term: an+ban + b

Finding the nn-th term of an arithmetic sequence: dn+(first termd)dn + (first\ term - d)

Square numbers sequence: n2n^2

💡Examples

Problem 1:

Find the next two terms and the term-to-term rule for the sequence: 7, 13, 19, 25, ...

Solution:

Terms: 31, 37. Rule: Add 6.

Explanation:

Calculate the difference between consecutive terms: 137=613 - 7 = 6 and 1913=619 - 13 = 6. Since the difference is constant, add 6 to the last known term (25) to get 31, and add 6 to 31 to get 37.

Problem 2:

Find the nn-th term formula for the sequence: 5, 8, 11, 14, ...

Solution:

3n+23n + 2

Explanation:

  1. Find the common difference (dd): 85=38 - 5 = 3. This means the formula starts with 3n3n. 2. Test n=1n=1: 3(1)=33(1) = 3. To get the first term (5), we need to add 2. Therefore, the formula is 3n+23n + 2.

Problem 3:

What is the 10th term of a sequence with the nn-th term formula n2+5n^2 + 5?

Solution:

105

Explanation:

Substitute n=10n = 10 into the formula: 102+5=100+5=10510^2 + 5 = 100 + 5 = 105.